


The Match

by Ghelik



Series: The 100 Fics [11]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Children, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Happy, MUrphy being paranoid, memori-centric, unbetad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 16:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8720206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghelik/pseuds/Ghelik
Summary: There are things one is not supposed to do. Well, Murphy always thought that, rather than things that you're not supposed to do, there are things you shouldn't get caught doing. Sneaking into Arkadia, with a banishment still hanging over his head, is probably one of those.





	

**Author's Note:**

> writing practice to unwind. This is not that good.

Arkadia is like a busy hive. Surrounded by tall sturdy walls, with little wood, metallic and stone buildings built so close together they seem to be falling over themselves. There are a few wide streets, but most of them are only wide enough for a cart to pass. On the outskirts, to the west of the city is a big arena: a field surrounded by wooden stands where games and matches are held periodically. Over the past ten years Arkadia has grown more and more powerful, the skaikru’s alliance growing stronger and stronger with every passing season. The city is now the third most important in Heda’s lands, competing only with Grayhaven in Azgeda territory and the capital, Polis.   
This is the first year when the biannual gofu match is held in Arkadia, which means a lot of the richer grounders have wandered over to watch it. Gofu is a series of “war enactments” where teams from twenty have to take out the Heda of the opposing team. Like chess but way more violent. Arkadia’s gates have been thrown wide open for the visitors and carts and stands line the bigger streets: merchants not loosing the chance to sell their products to the new costumers. Peacekeepers have been posted on the closely built roofs to make sure nobody disturbs the games.   
The sun is shining brightly and it’s a hot spring day.   
Murphy’s feeling a thrilling mixture of excitement and joy as he pushes his way through the throng of people. He’s used to the excitement: it’s the same he feels whenever he does something he knows he’s not supposed to. His motto being: there are no things you can’t do. Only things you shouldn’t get caught doing. The joy is starting to feel familiar too: it’s the feeling of Ivy’s hand in his, the smile on the corner of Emori’s face.  
It’s Emori’s fault that they’re here, really. True, it was his idea, but Emori is the one who has been telling Ivy about gofu. He has watched a few matches on the outskirts of some villages, and even played with a group of outcasts they were living a while ago. He doesn’t really care for it. Emori, on the other hand, is an enthusiast and has teaching Ivy everything there’s to know about the sport: the rules, the teams, even some of the names of the best players – which are probably not exactly up to date since information travels really slowly on the ground, but still. Ivy has always wanted to go to a match. Not just watch from the shadows, but really be there among the crowds, shouting up a storm and feeling the collective adrenaline.   
They wouldn’t be able to pull this stint of in one of the grounder towns, seeing as they would probably try to kill both Emori and Ivy for staining the bloodlines, or some backwards shit like that. But Skaikru has hard laws against harm to other human beings, no matter how mutated they are.   
In Arkadia it’s actually Murphy the one who’s putting his girls in danger.   
His banishment has been in effect for over twelve years, and even though he did sometimes work with Skaikru’s ‘Knife in the Dark’ and Wanheda in those first messy years, he was always chased out in the end. Not that it matters, really. He’s found his place, and, even though it’s a “no-place”, even though he doesn’t have a house or a territory, he is happy.  
Ivy squeals, jumping up and down with barely contained excitement. Her braided dark brown hair bouncing around her face like writhing snakes. She has her mother’s eyes and her father’s pasty skin. Is dressed for comfort and efficiency in a loose shirt, tight pants and an overskirt that reaches her ankles. It’s too warm to wear the skirt, but she does anyway, too self-conscious of her long prehensile tail. Emori cried a lot when the baby was born with an extra limb, Murphy was just too flabbergasted by the fact that he had a baby to really care about the tiny detail that was her tail. Some of the people they had met had suggested they just cut it off and for a while Emori had thought it might be a good idea. That has been the only really big fight they ever had and for a bit he thought he would end up loosing her.   
But now, ten years later, here they are: elbowing their way through a crowd.   
Ivy jumps agile like a panther up a cart to look over the tops of the heads slowly making their way towards the arena.   
Her grin is nearly splitting her face in two.   
\- Come here, you minx!- he calls and grabs her by the waist, throwing her over his shoulder firefighter-stile and she laughs high pitched and shrill like he knew she would.   
Next to him Emori gives them her trademark exasperated smirk and roll of the eye- an expression Ivy can imitate in an adorably accurate manner- and for the briefest of moments Murphy’s truly and utterly ok with the world.   
Then a grounder pushes him to the ground and spits in Ivy’s face growling a threatening “freak” and Ivy’s suddenly tearstained face is enough to make him see red.   
It’s Emori the one who swipes the grounder’s feet from beneath him, elbowing him in the breastbone. Hard.   
And if the grounder would’ve stayed down maybe nothing would’ve happened. But it’s a widely known fact that the universe hates Murphy and everything that can go wrong will, undoubtedly go worse.   
The grounder slaps Emori, aiming a booted foot at her ribs and the peacekeepers posted all around the place come and arrest all of them, because these people never had their priorities right.   
And that’s how Emori, Murphy and Ivy end up in a holding cell in the heart of Arkadia. The metal halls of what is left of Alpha Station send shivers down Murphy’s spine. Ivy sits huddled on the floor, ignoring her parents attempts to cheer her up, legs up against her chest, tail curled around her left foot and face hidden between her knees. Emori paces. She’s full of adrenaline and hates being cooped up in closed rooms. Murphy, on the other hand sit’s next to his daughter and stares unseeingly at the floor.   
They wait for someone with more authority than the guards that arrested them or the guy standing guard by the door. And it could be anybody, really, but of course it’s the Knife in the Dark, Bellamy Blake the one to enter their cell. He looks older – which is obvious if one takes into account it has been over ten years since Murphy saw the rebel king for the last time- his hair streaked with a few white strands, eyes a little bit more sunken, face sharper somehow, there are faint laughing lines around his mouth and eyes, a scar on his cheek that wasn’t there. He’s wearing a peacekeeper uniform with a red strip all around his left shoulder.   
When he appears, the guard at the door nearly falls over himself in his hurry to open the door.  
Bellamy walks into the tiny room like he owns the place, exuding confidence through every gesture. He looks first at Emori and then at Murphy and Ivy, still on the floor.   
He frowns slightly.   
\- Murphy- he says, his voice as deep and growly as he remembers.   
It is a voice that commands respect and obedience. Hearing that power still sends chills down his spine, but not enough to make him forget the danger and the fact that, once again, the Rebel King and he are on opposing sides of the metaphorical board.   
\- Blake- he answers as nonchalant as possible, and makes an effort not to scramble to his feet, to remain seated, stay a comforting presence for his daughter and a cheeky disrespectful bastard for Bellamy.   
The older man crosses his arms across his chest.   
\- What have you done now?- he asks cocking his head and something like mirth playing in around his lips.   
The look on his face makes something itch between his shoulderblades.   
\- He didn’t do anything- growls Emori, drawing the Knife in the Dark’s attention away from Murphy and Ivy.- I beat that son of a mutt.   
Bellamy smiles kindly.   
\- And you are…  
\- My name is Emori.   
He nods slowly.   
\- And why did you beat that man?   
Emori swallows and Murphy tenses. Telling Bellamy the reason why the fight started will undoubtedly bring his attention back to Ivy, which is always dangerous.  
They both know why he was banished in the first place and skaikru might be slightly different from the grounders, but ‘blood must have blood’ is a philosophy that doesn’t differ so much from their mentality. Murphy’s hands are covered in the blood of a child and justice would demand he gave a child of his own as reparation.   
There’s no way in hell he’s letting anyone touch his baby.   
He stands up as carelessly as possible, his back straight and his stance firma and comfortable. Sensing the shift in her parents demeanor, Ivy rises her tearstained face to look at the arker.   
\- He insulted my family.- Emori answers finally.   
\- You understand that is not considered a reason for violence in Arkadia.   
\- Should I have let him go?- asks Emori, fist clenched at her sides.   
\- Yes.   
And she bristles.   
\- What sort of mother would I be if I let strangers spit in my daughters face?- growls the grounder and Murphy takes a step closer towards Bellamy, away from Ivy.   
The arkers eyes narrow and then find Ivy, who’s peaking around her father’s legs with curiosity. Bellamy’s face goes automatically softer.   
\- Hello- he says crouching down to be at eyelevel with Ivy.   
He doesn’t try to come any closer, which is a good thing, because Murphy’s knife is nearly in his fingers and he really doesn’t think it is a good idea to stab Bellamy right this moment.  
\- I’m Bellamy, what’s your name?   
He smiles at her and Ivy goes bright pink.   
\- Ivy.- she says shily.   
\- Is it the first time you visit Arkadia?   
She nods.   
\- Do you like it?  
She nods vigorously at that.   
\- I had never seen so many people before- she smiles showing off her missing tooth.   
\- You came to see the matches?   
\- Yes.   
He nods.   
\- Well then- he straightens, smile still soft on his lips.- Lets go to see the matches.  
Murphy does normally gape. But right now his jaw has hit the floor and he can’t seem to pick it up. He stops Ivy from running away with Bellamy with a heavy hand on her shoulder.   
\- What?   
Bellamy shrugs.   
\- I’ll just write it off with a warning, your partner being new in town and spirits running high and all. No reason why you should spend the day here.   
Murphy frowns.   
\- You’re letting us go? Just like that?   
\- Do you want to stay in detention?- he asks confused.   
\- No. But…- he throws a look in Emoris direction. Why is he the only one that finds this strange?   
She shrugs and after a moment all three of them follow the Rebel King out of the detention cell and out of what is left of Alpha station. Nobody asks any questions when they see them and nobody tries to arrest them again.   
The streets are quieter now, practically empty and the arena is full when they arrive, but instead of directing them to the crowded stands, Bellamy leads them to a box built on the best place in the whole arena.   
Down below, the matches have already started and Ivy keeps pulling at his arm for him to watch as they climb the stairs up to the box.   
It isn’t exactly full, but there are over a dozen people already there.   
A blond head is the first to turn towards Bellamy, kissing him with a smile as soon as she sees him, and Murphy’s already pulling Ivy behind him before her eyes fall on them.   
\- Look what I’ve found- says Bellamy.   
\- Oh, my god! Murphy?  
And he has suddenly an armful of the happiest Clarke Griffin he’s ever seen.   
At that the rest of the people in the box turn to them and Murphy finds himself without knowing exactly how, in a weird parallel world where people are happy to see him, where people greet him and clap him on the back. He introduces Emori and they’re both bombarded with questions, like people really noticed he was gone. Like they cared.   
It feels weird. It’s confusing and nearly incomprehensible. But he’s nothing if not extremely adaptable, so he rolls with it, keeping always an eye on Ivy and trying not to jump between her and everyone that tries to interact with her. There are children- one boy from Clarke and Bellamy; two girls from Raven and Roan; a baby from Harper- and they include Ivy without any problems.   
Emori’s standing close to his side, her bad hand resting lightly in his, as they waddle through this extremely surreal situation together.   
It feels sort of nice, being included like this. Getting to know all the things that have changed since they left, getting to talk about that time when they conned their way out of a sacrificial pyre, or about that other time where Ivy wanted to catch stars and they took her to hunt fireflies instead. People listen to them, they don’t try to double cross them and just… Enjoy themselves. It seems strange that so many people can have fun together, but they are. And he is, too.   
This… this might not have been the worst of ideas.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. As always this was unbetad


End file.
